The House Democrats’ version of the health reform bill has just been released [PDF] in a tentative version. And — drumroll — it’s a more moderate version of (what has been dubbed by Fox News recently as) “PelosiCare“. Without the assured votes for a “robust” public option, the House speaker has had to make apparent concessions on what exactly a more moderate option would entail. One function of the House’s bill would give providers the ability to negotiate reimbursement rates with the federal government. Details will undoubtedly follow. | LINK

UPDATE: Amid all of the usual Republican talking points characterizing financing the reform bill via “excessive taxation” and “government takeover”, the consolidation of all three House committees represented by the nearly 2000-page bill represents quite an ambitious undertaking by congressional Democrats in order to guarantee its promises of “covering some 96% of all Americans” while cutting deficit spending via high income tax surcharges. The House version of the bill appears to benefit the individual taxpayer (highly subsidized care for poorer Americans with high-income earners, non-compliers, and employers footing the bill) while the Senate side supports the integration of subsidized care into the healthcare marketplace (coexistence of cooperatives and private entities in competition). All in all, a panoply of issues that will have to be merged into a unified bill in both chambers awaiting Obama’s signature. Let the debates begin!

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